Wizard of technology casts his spell

Animation and special effects artist among highly trained team who created an unforgettable visual feast for Paralympics, Chen Nan reports.

The opening and closing ceremonies of both the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics provided a stunning visual feast for audiences worldwide, with an imaginative combination of advanced digital technology and beautiful, creative designs.

The galas, held at the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, honored China's ancient traditions, paid homage to athletes from around the world, and promoted the values and vision of the Olympics and Paralympics.

As one of the core members of the visual effect team for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Paralympics, visual artist Wu Zhen spent months working on creating computerized animations and special effects, as well as even longer on testing ideas and revising the plan many times over.

"It took lots of sleepless nights to discuss, and often discard, ideas, then come up with new ones before having plans finalized one after another," recalls Wu, 40. "It was an unforgettable experience, and it was a great opportunity to showcase some of China's newest technological innovations to the world."

Wu joined the creative team in August after receiving an invite from Wang Zhigang, head of the Department of Information Art and Design in Tsinghua University's School of Fine Arts, who was director of visual effects of the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. "After two years of preparation, we've had a rewarding experience beyond our expectations. It was a result of creativity and technology. What's more important is that we've worked with many people with physical challenges, who inspired us," said Wang in a previous interview.